Improvement in paddle-wheels



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Letters Patent No. 78,301, elated llay 26, 1868. e

IMPROVEMENT IN PADDLE-WHEELS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY COlICERN:l

v:Be it'iknown that I, WILLIAM R.' MANLEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented,

certain new and useful Improvements in Paddle-Wheels for watercraft, and that the following is a {nih-clear, and exact description and specification ot' the same. n

My invention relates to those paddle-wheels in which the inclination of the paddle tothe radius of the wheel is varied during revolution. y

The object of my invention is to retain the advantages incident to securing the journal or bearing of the controlling-frame to the guard of the paddle-wheel, and at the same time to prevent the fluctuations in the `position of the guard (relatively to the paddle-wheel)l from straining the controllingfframe, its connections, and the paddle-wheel.

To this end, the first partot` my invention consists of the combination of the controlling-frameot the paddles with the paddle-wheel guard, (or other support for the journal upon which thecontrolling-fraine turns,) by' means of a connection between'thie main wheel and'the controlling-frame, which, at all times when the wheel is inaction, permits the hearing of the controlling-frame to change its position in relation to the guard-'beam whenever the guard-beam changes its positionv in relation to the main wheel.

I My invention consists, further, of thc arrangement of thcsaid connection diagonally to the vertical and horizontal directions in which the paddle-wheel guard' is moved by strains, whereby the journal or bearing of the controlling-frame-'is moved to the least'extent-by equal movements of the paddle-guard invertical 'and horizontal` directions. i I

My invention consists,rfurther, in so arranging the paddle-cranks (by which the controllingframe is corinected with the paddles) and the said connection, that the weight ofthe controlling-frame is divided equally, or thereabouts, between the paddle-wheel and the paddle-wheelgu'ard.

My invention consists, further, of the combination ofthe controlling-frame,paddle-wheel guard, and said connection, (which constitute the iirst partof my invention,) with the wheel-shaft, by means of av link connecting the bearing of the controlling-frame and the end of the wheel-shaft, whereby the shafts on which the paddles turn are relieved of the weight of the controlling-frame. p

I haveldeemed it expedient to represent my improvements as applied to a wheel ot' the Buchanan variety, thesimplicit-y of which renders it easy for me to convey to others a clear understanding of the nature and operation ot'l my invention;` and I will proceed to describe the-improved wheel, referring to the accompanying drawings, and to'thc lettcrsof reference marked thereon. In the said drawing- Figure 1 represents a s ide view of theimprovedwheel and a fragmentot` the guard-beam.

Figure 2 represents a vertical sectionvot' the same at the axis of the wheel-shaft, and

Figure 3 is a diagram representing the central lines of some of themembers of the paddle-wheel.

The puddle-wheel proper has two frames, A A', supported by and secured to the-wlieel-shaft B. It has also, in the present instance, eight paddles, C, which are secured to shafts e, which turn in bearings sustained by the paddle-wheel frames A A, so that the inclination of the paddles to .the radii of the paddle-wheel may be varied by turning or by rocking' the said paddles in the wheel-frames .upon the axes of theirl shafts. VEach paddle-shaft is fitted with a crank-arm, by which the paddle is'controlled, and the series of crank-arms is connected by :its crank-pins with the controllingt'ratne E, which is constructed to turn upon a journal, a, that is 'eccentric to the paddle-wheel shaft B.

In order that my invention may he embodied in this paddle-wheel, thejournal 'or hearing a of the controlling or eccentric-'frame E, although supported at the outer side of the wheel bythe guard-benin F, is not rigidly connected with this beam, but is connected with it by an arm, G, having a journaLVH, which is tted to turn in c. piilow-block, I, secured to the guard-beam F. As the arm G is free to vibrate upon the axis of its journal H on the guard-beam, while the eccentric-frame E isifree` to turn upon thejournal a at the outer end of thearm,

the said arm G, -ivith its journals, vconstitutes a connection between the said eccentric or controlling-frameand '18,301 vEZ the guard-beam,rand which at all times permits the latter to change its position relatively to the former, or vice versa. Y

vIn order that the second part of my invention may bc embodied in the said wheel, the arm G is made oi' such length, and so set upon tbe guard-beam, thatithe line connecting the axes of the two journals, H a, (which line is represented-in the drawing by the dott-ed line Il a, and is the radial line of the said conncction,)

is at an angle oi' forty-five degrees with-the horizontal and vertical lines drawn through the axis ol' the journalY H on the paddle-wheel gnard, and is therefore diagonal lo the vertical and horizontal directions in which thc paddle-wheel ,guard may be moved by strains.

Moreover, (in order that the third 'part of my invention may be embodied,) thc crank-arms D of the paddles are so arranged relatively to the connection formed by the arm G, that the'centraflines of said crank-arms (indicated by the dotted lines e r) are at the same inclination to the vertical line J J, drawn through the axis of the jonrnal a, that the radial line H d of lthe said connection is. Itlcnccpwhen the arm G and the crank-arms of thelpaddles are of equal length, and the radial line of the said connection is at an angle oi' forty-five degrees with the vertical line .I J representing the direction of the forceoi` gravity, as is' the case in the present wheel, theweight of theeccentric controllingframcl'l is divided cqnallybetween the paddle-wheel and the paddlewheel guard, and-the weight is supported :is-upon the apex of a rigl|t-angled isosceles triangle.

As the strain upon. the paddle-shafts, due to this portionof the weight, may be deemed objectionablc,I have connected the extension of thejournal a of the eccentric-frame directly with a journal, s, formed upon the outboard-end of'd the wheel-shaft'B, by means of a link, N, (represented in dotted lines in iig. 1,) whose ends are .itted to turn upon the said two journals, so that the portion of the weight of the eccentric controllingframe borne by the' wheel-'shaft is transmitted directly to it by the-link N. When this link is used, there should be a llittle play in thebearings of the pins of the crankarms D in the eccentric controlling-frame.

In place ofnrranging the arm G to sustain thefstrain as a strut or brace, 'it may be arranged to sua-tain it by tension. 'In this'ciase the journal on the paddle-wheel guard-beam must-be arranged labove the levclof the axis of the wheel-shaft, as, for example, with tho-axis of thejournal at the point g, fig. 3; and this arrangement is advantageous ih a sea-steamer, because it permits the'paddle-wheel guard to be raised correspondingly, so that it is further. above the level`4 of the water. Or, if the second part of my inventin is not to be used, the arm G of the said connection-may bc set vertically upon the paddle-guard, and the paddle-crank arms D set so as to. project horizontally from the paddle-shafts e.

Although I greatly prefer to distribute the weight of the eccentric-frame or controllingd'ramc equally between the wheel-shaft and the guard-beam, this is Anot essential to the first and fourth parts of my invention, because by varying the angle'which the radial lineof the said connection forms with thehorizontal line passingA through the axis of thejournal on the guard-beam, an'd also varying the inclination of the paddle-crank arms, any desired distribution'of -the weight may he obtained. "llius, for example, if the arm G be so set `when first' adjusted that its radial line is hQri zontal,'while the radial lines of the paddle-crank arms are vertical, all the weight of the controlling-framewill be thrown upon the paddle-wheel; audit', on the other hand, the radial line Y 'of the arm- Gr bev'vertical,- while the radial lines of the paddle-crank arms are horizontal, all the weight will be thrown upon the guard-beam; and byincliningjthe radial lineof the connecting-arm Gr more or less to a vertical line, andsetting the .radial lines Iof the paddle-crank arms convc1sely,'more or loss of'A the weight of the .controllingframe will be thrown upon the paddle-wheeland correspondingly less or more ol' it'upon' the paddle-guard. i

`The employment of this connection between the paddle-beam andy the'centrolling-frame imparts an elasticity to the whole system of the paddle-wheel which has heretoforebcen wanting, and not only diminishes the friction of all the journals, but tends greatly to reduce the risk ofbreakage from the straining ofthe paddle-guard in a. sea-Way, if it does not entirely prevent'it. This is evident fronra consideration of what would takeplace if the guard-beam were strained, Suppose, for example, it were raised, relatively to tlieside of the vessel, so as to raise the'axis of the journal H to the point li, iig. 3. As the journalcan turn in the pillow-block on the guard-beam, the central lines of the'connectin'g-arm Gr, rod or arm ofthe controlling-frame, and paddle-crank arms, would assume the mean positions represented by the dottedlincsl a', a r', r c, `lig. 3, in which no one of' the parts would be strained out of its natural position, and consequently they would not beundnly strained. The accommodating qualities of the controlling system, therefore, permits all the members of the wheel to accommodate themselves t-o the varyingcireumstances which may occur in practice.

In the paddle-wheel represented in the drawings, the angle formed by the radial line H a of the arm Cr, and the radial lines e r ofthe paddle-crank arms, is an angle of ninety degrees. Although I.believe this to be the best angle for the members, all thing-s considered, for sea-goingvessels, when great strength and stability of all parts of wheel are required, I would not confine myself tothis anglo in cases of wheels for vessels to navigate still waters, where the relative movement of the paddle-wheel gnardand vessel is small, and the use of the second part of the invention is' no t very important, but would in such cases, whenthe equal distribution of the weight of the controlling-frame was made between the paddle-wheel and the guard-beam, vuse a lcsser angle, say of forty-{ive degrees, in this way lcssening the divergence of the two lines of pressure. 1

:What I 'claim as myV improvement inpaddle-wheels having paddles-capable, while in action, of varying their inclinations to the radial arms of the paddle-wheel frames, is-' 1. The combinationof-th'e controllingframe E of the .paddles with the guard-beam 'F and crank-arm G, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The arrangement of the crank-arm G diagonally to vertical and horizontal directions in which the guard- I beam may be' moved by strains upon Vthe vessel, substantially as hereinbefore s et forth.

3. The arrangement of the paddle-crank :mils D und the orankarm G at equal angles `to :L vertical line, substantially as hei'enbefore set forth.

4. Thecombation of the controlling-frame 1:1,gua1d-beam F, crank-arm G, link N, and main shaft B, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereto set my hand, this twentieth day of April, 1867.

W. R. MANLEL Witnesses:

Cms. H. LEONARD, JOHN W. LLOYD. 

